Celtic's five crucial festive fixtures assessed

The World Cup has been entertaining, hasn't it?

After the build-up to the controversial tournament in Qatar, which saw light being quite rightly shone on some of the draconian practices of the country, it is understandable why many were not enthused by the first-ever winter version of the tournament.

On the park, though, the football has surpassed expectations. The underdog story of Morocco, the magic of Lionel Messi, France's quest to retain the trophy and, of course, the remarkable consistency of Josip Juranovic's Croatia. 

There has been plenty to enjoy about the 2022 version of the international spectacle. However, for Celtic, attention now moves to the return of domestic matters.

It was a successful first stage of the season for the Scottish champions as they went into the winter shutdown nine points clear in the league and having progressed to the semi-finals of the League Cup.

The Champions League campaign undoubtedly was a disappointment for Ange Postecoglou's men but there were foundations put down to build on going forward in Europe.

In recent seasons December has always been a busy month for the Hoops and, even though there is still plenty of football to be played, it's not unfair to say that the fixtures played over the beginning of the winter period could be season-defining.

Let's take a closer look at Celtic's next five games.

Aberdeen (A)

The first match back for the Scottish champions is a trip to Pittodrie to face Aberdeen on league duty on Saturday December 17.

After a miserable season last year, Jim Goodwin's men have turned it around so far during this campaign.

A key factor in their current standing is the fact they have won six of their seven home games in the Scottish Premiership, as the Irishman has turned the Dons' home ground into somewhat of a fortress.

The Pittodrie side have also made it to the final four of the League Cup, which highlights their consistency.

Postecoglou's men defeated them 2-0 on the opening day of the season but since then they have gone from strength to strength so it will not be an easy return to domestic action for the Parkhead club.

The Aberdeen danger man is striker Bojan Miovski, who has netted 11 times for the Dons already this campaign.

Interestingly, the North Macedonia international's last four goals have come in games where he scored with his only shots on target, which shows just how lethal he can be when given the chance.

Livingston (H)

David Martindale's side were a tough nut to crack for Celtic in recent seasons, particularly away from home. However, Postecoglou seems to have got the club over this hump and has now recorded four wins out of the five against the Almondvale side.

The Lions are the second opponents for the Hoops in this run and the champions will be hoping to record another comfortable victory at Parkhead. Livingston currently sit fourth in the division having had an impressive start to the season.

Only the Scottish champions, Rangers and Aberdeen have more wins than Martindale's men, who continue to punch well above their weight in the Scottish Premiership.

The Parkhead side won 3-0 at Almondvale last time out and will be hoping for more of the same during the reverse fixture on Wednesday December 21.

St Johnstone (H)

Callum Davidson's side have had somewhat of a resurgence this season after their relegation battle during the last campaign.

Going into the break they were on a five-game undefeated run which included a 2-0 win against Rangers.

They are currently sixth and appear set on continuing to climb the table. It took a late Giorgos Giakoumakis winner last time out to take all three points against the Perth side and Hoops supporters will be hoping things are not quite as dramatic this time around.

Stats from Wyscout show that Davidson's team work extremely hard off the ball as they have the second most recoveries per 90 minutes in the league at 93.45, with only Kilmarnock registering higher.

The Celts will need to be extremely diligent to secure the three points when the sides meet on Christmas Eve.

Hibernian (A)

It has been an up-and-down season for Lee Johnson's side. The Hibees have scored late equalisers against Rangers and Hearts but also slumped to six defeats in seven games before the break.

This inconsistency means they sit nearer the bottom of the table than the top in eighth. The Easter Road club were beaten heavily by the Scottish champions last time out, with a James Forrest hat-trick helping the Hoops on their way to a 6-1 victory.

A repeat of the same result and performance on December 28 would no doubt delight Postecoglou but, given the match is in the capital, it is likely to be a closer affair this time round.

Rangers (A)

Bringing to an end this mini-run of festive fixtures is a trip to Ibrox for the Glasgow Derby on January 2.

It has been all change across the city since the last time the two sides me, with Michael Beale replacing Giovanni van Bronckhorst in the dugout.

If the Bhoys have managed to secure maximum points up until this game, then it could be a fixture that has significant implications for where the title is going.

At this moment it is not clear exactly how Beale's side will line up but Cameron Carter-Vickers and Carl Starfelt will have to look out for striker Antonio Colak, who has scored 14 times in 24 appearances far this season.

Overall it will be a busy time during Christmas for Postecoglou and his team. Five wins would put them in a magnificent position ahead of the rest of the season. It will not be easy to do so but success over this festive period could lead to Celtic being able to give their fans the ultimate gift come May.

This piece is an extract from today’s Celtic Digest newsletter, which is emailed out every weekday evening with a round-up of the day's top stories and exclusive analysis from The Celtic Way team. 

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